Whataburger bets on convenience store channel to expand non-traditional growth territory

Restaurant brands are increasingly viewing convenience stores as an important vehicle for expansion. As retailers continue to double down on the foodservice sector, from regional brands to national chains, numerous fast-food brands are seeking partnerships to embed their concepts in or adjacent to convenience store layouts. Such collaborations allow restaurant operators to reach a large grab-and-go customer base while opening new market entry points.

Whataburger is an active practitioner of this trend. This year, the Texas-based burger brand partnered with Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores to open its first travel center location and is jointly developing a co-branded site with Refuel Operating Co.

However, Whataburger's presence in the convenience store channel did not begin today. The brand has been deeply involved in this space for decades, and executives say that as the company invests in new formats and expands its footprint, they are seeking to build further on this foundation.

The convenience store channel: a quiet but sustained growth story

Whataburger's restaurant portfolio is divided into traditional and non-traditional categories, with the latter encompassing venues such as airports, university campuses, and convenience stores.

"We view fuel as an extension of our non-traditional investments," said Todd Ewen, Whataburger's Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer. "It's not the largest part of our portfolio, but it's crucial to us."

Whataburger opened its first location adjacent to a convenience store in 2000 and currently operates about 40 such restaurants, according to Joe Jaynes, Director of the company's Corporate Real Estate Group. These locations include both company-owned and franchised units across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arizona. They are typically similar in size to freestanding Whataburger restaurants and offer the full menu.

For a chain of Whataburger's scale, opening 40 convenience store-adjacent locations over 26 years may not seem significant. But Ewen and Jaynes point out that as Whataburger expands beyond its core markets, convenience store retail has become a more attractive growth path.

Ewen said that as the brand's footprint and awareness grow, interest from retailers and convenience store customers has increased.

"Love's saw the strengths in our menu and brand loyalty and said, 'We would very much like to partner with you and be part of this,'" Ewen said. "So, I think it's our own growth that has made others see us as a viable option in these settings."

"Love's saw the strengths in our menu and brand loyalty and said, 'We would very much like to partner with you and be part of this.'"

——Todd Ewen, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Whataburger

While expanding its convenience store channel, Whataburger is also optimizing its overall restaurant design strategy through two new prototypes—Legacy and Essentials.

Both formats feature an upgraded version of the brand's iconic orange-and-white stripes, paired with wood grain, glass, and more modern materials. The Legacy design incorporates Whataburger's classic A-frame architectural style and a larger dining area, while Essentials places greater emphasis on the striped branding elements. Both are slightly smaller than traditional restaurants.

Ewen said that although these designs were not specifically created for convenience store environments, elements from both prototypes are expected to influence future convenience store and travel center location planning.

"You'll see a strong Texas-style brand presentation," he added. "You'll see the orange-and-white color scheme, and how we create an A-frame feel in non-structural designs."

However, Ewen also noted that due to space constraints and site requirements, the application of the prototypes in convenience store and travel center settings has certain limitations.

Both Ewen and Jaynes emphasized that Whataburger has not set a specific target number of convenience store locations, but rather focuses on building partnerships with the right retail partners.

"We don't take these partnerships lightly," Ewen said. "Whether it's Love's, Refuel, or other partners in the future, the partner is always a key part of our decision-making."